Name: David Ebersman

Brown Affiliation:   Alum '91

Company: Genentech

Position: Senior Vice President, Product Operations

Degree(s) Earned: BA Economics and International Relations

Hometown: New York

Contact Info

David Ebersman is senior vice president, Product Operations. In this role, he is responsible for Genentech's worldwide Manufacturing, Facilities, Engineering, Supply Chain Management, and Process Development functions. 

Ebersman joined Genentech in 1994 as a business development analyst. During the next several years, he was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility in both Business Development and Product Development. In 1999, Ebersman was named vice president, Product Development, and in 2001, he was promoted to senior vice president, Product Operations. 

Prior to joining Genentech, Ebersman was a research analyst covering biotechnology investments for Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., an investment banking firm. Ebersman is a member of Genentech's executive committee and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and international relations from Brown University.

What is your educational background/advanced degrees do you have (if any) and are they a must for what you do?
 

I do not have any advanced degrees.  Such degrees are definitely a must for certain technical jobs, but there are plenty of positions where advanced study is not required.

What positions did you hold before your current position?

After college, I worked as an equity research analyst at Oppenheimer (now CIBC) for three years.  I joined Genentech in 1994 as an analyst in Business Development.  I became Vice President of Product Development in 1998, and Senior Vice President of Product Operations in 2001.

What are your favorite aspects of you job? What are the drawbacks?
 

My favorite aspect of the job is having the opportunity to help patients
with bad diseases.  My second favorite part is working with a very
passionate and talented group of people.  Only drawback is that the work is very unpredictable - some drugs work well, others fail miserably in clinical trials.
 

What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about pursuing a career in your area?
 

It is a great field to work in.  Try to start out in a role that gives you broad exposure to the industry so you can learn how all the pieces fit together.

What do you look for in a potential job candidate/ what qualities are most important for someone in your field?

The ability to listen, to communicate effectively, to work well with other people, and to be able to get the job done even when faced with unexpected challenges.